Water-efficient

11,972 Gallons

Regular

27,010 GALLONS

Water-efficient

12,848 Gallons

Regular

16,936 GALLONS

Water-efficient

15,768 Gallons

Regular

15,914 GALLONS

Water-efficient

14,600 Gallons

Regular

21,900 GALLONS

Water-efficient

1,022 Gallons

Regular

1,460 GALLONS

Water-efficient

56,210 Gallons = $671.92

Regular

83,220 GALLONS = $908.53

FINDING & MEASURINGleaks

While paying a water and sewer bill of $115 for 90 days use, a customer mentioned that the house rule to “rattle the handle” after a flush was a costly mistake. In this case, the plunger ball wasn’t seating properly and one family member didn’t always follow the rule. The toilet ran continuously for up to 4 hours on almost all school days. This went on for about 45 days.

Over 20,000 gallons were wasted.

A customer said “I know the toilet was leaking, but it can’t cost $231 for 3 months!” Approximately 92,000 gallons were wasted.

The Public Service Commission was contacted about a high water bill. A family was away on extended vacation when a toilet leak developed. The toilet leaked continuously for about 60 days. A 3/8″ diameter line was feeding the toilet. Approximately 85,000 gallons leaked through the overflow and the bill was almost $195.

A customer reported that every few hours his toilet seemed to flush itself.This was caused by the tank refilling after water leaked around the plunger ball. Our service people found the problem and the customer had it repaired quickly. Fortunately, the water bill for the leak was only $89, but the water wasted was over 26,000 gallons.

OUTDOORconservationtips

Use a bucket or a rain barrel to catch and store fresh rainwater from your rooftop. Then use this water for washing your car or for watering your lawn, garden, trees, and plants. Rainwater is better for your plants because it is not chlorinated. If you put a screen over your bucket, this will keep the insects out and keep mosquitoes from laying their eggs in the rainwater.

Use a spray nozzle on your hose. If this is an adjustable type, the water can be turned down to a fine spray. When finished using the hose, turn the water off at the faucet instead of the nozzle – this will help control leaks. Sweep off your driveway and sidewalk with a broom or use a blower – do NOT use the hose.

Water plants only when needed. Soaker hoses use less water than overhead sprinklers. Turn the soaker hose upside down (so that the holes are facing down). This will help to avoid evaporation. Remove weeds – they steal water from other plants. Use organic mulches (such as woodchips, shredded bark, grass clippings, straw, hay, leaves, or compost) – to retain moisture.

Cover the pool or spa to prevent evaporation and to keep the water cleaner. To avoid water going over the sides, do not over fill. Install a water-saving pool filter – traditional filters use 180-250 gallons of water. Do not drain pools/spas unless repair work is needed.

Rain gardens are a more natural landscape that uses wildflowers and other native plants. The native plants are low maintenance, use a lot less water, and do not require fertilizers. Due to their deep root system, native plants help the environment by increasing the soil’s ability to store water, reducing runoff (flooding), and providing a habitat for birds and butterflies. The DNR provides a lot of information about Rain Gardens.